


sincerely, uzumaki naruto

by browniefic



Category: Naruto
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Mutual Pining, NaruHina 2020, Single Parent Uzumaki Naruto, not a lot, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28113144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/browniefic/pseuds/browniefic
Summary: after his wife leaves him a week after giving birth to their son, naruto moves back to konoha. he adjusts to life as a single father, with the help of his friends and surprisingly, his old crush. naruhina.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 95
Kudos: 166





	1. intro

**Author's Note:**

> i give you all permission to yell at me lol i know you're sick of me. I PROMISE i won't delete this story like all the others!! i'm really excited for it and i couldn't help but write it. I have so many story ideas in my head which is why I post so many new ones so frequently so bare with me. anyways I hope you like it!

_Dear Naruto,_

_I thought of a lot of different ways to write this letter. But I realized there was nothing I could say that would justify what I'm about to do._

"This is the last box. Where do you want it, Naruto?" 

_Things aren't working between us. Things haven't worked in a long time. And I think having Boruto in the middle of our struggling marriage was a mistake. I wish I'd never gotten pregnant. Which is an awful thing for a new mother to say, but it's the truth._

"Naruto." 

_If I told you how I felt, you would've tried convincing me to stay. To try and work it out. And I probably would've given in, because you're a convincing person. But I know if I stay I'll be living in my own personal hell._

"Naruto."

_The truth is, I don't love you anymore. I fell out of love with you a long time ago. I know the feeling is mutual, even though you'd never say it._

"Naruto."

_I don't love Boruto, even though I wish I did. I tried to. I really did, but I didn't feel that surge of unconditional love mothers feel the first time they hold their child. I waited for it to come, but it never did._

"Naruto!"

Naruto looks up, to see his best friend staring at him with a look of concern on his face. 

"What are you reading?" 

He quickly stuffs the paper in the front pocket of his jeans. 

"It's nothing. What did you want?" He walks into his new house, Sasuke following him. 

"Where does this box go?" 

He looks behind him. 

"The label is on the box, idiot." 

"I can't read it given I'm holding it dumb f-"

"Not in front of the baby!" They both turn to Sakura, who's sitting on a box, shaking a toy rattle in front of his son's baby carrier. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to have Boruto's carrier on a box, but it was the sturdiest thing around given they had no furniture yet. 

"That box goes in the kitchen." Naruto rolls his eyes, before walking into his living room, on his way to unpack. "How is he doing?" 

He peeks behind Sakura to look at Boruto. His small head is tilted to the side, his mouth opened wide. He's in a deep sleep, much to Naruto's delight. 

"I want him to wake up." Sakura shakes the rattle, and Naruto grabs it. 

"You're not waking him up." She reaches for the rattle, and Naruto lifts it up in the air. 

"He's been up for 21 hours." He knows because he counted. "Which means _I've_ been up for 21 hours. Let him sleep. As a matter of fact, maybe I should sleep." 

Sakura huffs, and rocks the carrier back and forth. 

"He's such a cute sleeper." She ignores his plea for sleep. "He drools a lot, though." 

"Yeah, well-"

"I hope my baby doesn't drool this much." She rubs her pregnant belly, and looks off into space as if she's imagining how her daughter will sleep. 

"All babies drool." 

He opens a box, and begins taking out stacks of picture frames. 

"Alright, that's everything." Naruto looks up to see Sasuke walking down the stairs. "Sakura, let's go." 

"Wait, what? You're leaving me?" He stands up, and helps Sakura stand as well. 

"We have things to do." 

"More important than _me?"_ He follows them out the door. 

"We're tired. Sakura, let's go." 

They're probably nowhere near as tired as him, given he's had to lift and unpack boxes while trying to take care of a two month old child. 

"Well-"

"Don't worry Naruto. The guys are coming to help you build your furniture, and Ino said she'll babysit Boruto whenever you need." Sasuke starts the car, and Sakura resorts to yelling out the window. 

"You have a lot of people that are coming to help! Hinata is coming to cook-"

"Wait, what?!" He runs to the yard, as the car slowly starts rolling. 

"I said, Hinata is coming-" The passenger side window is being rolled up, and all he can see is Sakura's lips moving before she turns to her husband. 

He stands in the middle of his front lawn, staring at the car that's driving in the distance. He thinks about the last thing Sakura said. 

Hinata is coming. 

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." He stands there, until he hears a cry coming from the inside of his house. "Shit!"

* * *

The doorbell rings, and Naruto runs from the kitchen to the living room, stopping in front of his child. He's still in his carrier, now propped on a successfully built TV stand. 

"Boruto, how do I look?" 

It's a good thing the two month old couldn't talk, because if he could he would tell him he looked awful. It's probably apparent he hasn't slept in two days, his T-shirt is soaked in sweat, and his hair is held back with a thin headband. 

The door rings again, and he internally panics. 

"Should I just lose the shirt? Or keep it on?" He lifts up his shirt, then shakes his head and puts it back down. "She'll probably faint." 

He walks towards the door, and stops. "Not saying she'll faint just by looking at me. I just meant-"

The doorbell rings again. He huffs, and opens the door, as if he's ripping off a band-aid. 

She's looking down at the dish in her hand, and looks up at him when he opens the door even more. 

"Heyyy, Hinata." 

She looks the same. She still has the same long purple-black hair that swayed with every step she took, and the same lavender eyes he used to get lost in. And when she looks up at him, he can see her plump lips stretch into a small smile. 

"Hello, Naruto-kun." It's obvious she's changed in the last six years, since the last time he saw her was at high school graduation. He stares at her, and is almost overwhelmed at the emotions that he feels."Can I come in?" 

"Oh!" He would open the door wider, but it's already open all the way. "Yeah, come on in!" 

She steps into his house, and he closes the door behind them. "We're still trying to get everything set up, y'know." He kicks an empty box out the way. 

"It looks really nice." She turns around, and sets her dish down on the coffee table. "How have you been?" 

"I'm good…" He makes his way over to his new couch. "I had a baby." He points to Boruto, who's in front of them. 

For some reason, Hinata giggles. "I can see that. He's adorable." She's looking at him, and Naruto stands and makes his way over to his son.

"You can hold him. If you want." He sits back down, and sets the carrier on the coffee table by her dish. "It's really easy. I don't know if you've ever held one before." He lifts Boruto up, and carefully sets him in Hinata's arms. 

His head rests in the crook of her arm, and her free hand is placed under his bottom. Boruto stares up at her, and Hinata smiles at him. 

"He's so cute." Boruto coos, and Naruto smiles at them. 

"He gets it from me." 

She laughs, and rocks him back and forth. She whispers under her breath, and she's so quiet he doesn't understand what she's saying. He doesn't mind though. The sight of her lovingly holding his son makes his heart skip beats, although he doesn't know why. 

"How have you been, Hinata?" He needs to distract himself, otherwise he'll start thinking about her more deeply. 

"I've been good." She seems too distracted with Boruto to continue a conversation, and he almost feels jealous. 

"Nothing new?" He wants to know more about what she's been up to. 

"Well, I'm engaged." 

And just like that, the smile on his face drops. 

"Really?" 

She nods, and looking at the ground seems more interesting than looking at her. 

Really, he should have known she would eventually move on and start her own family. He did, although it didn't turn out quite the way he wanted it to. But something about knowing that she moved on from him made his heart sink in his chest. 

"That's great." He spits the words out, and she looks at him. "I'm really happy for you." She can probably tell he's lying through his teeth, but she still smiles anyway. 

"Thank you-"

"Who's the lucky guy?" He interrupts her, but he needs to know just who managed to get the best girl in Konoha (in his humble opinion). 

"Um, Toneri." Of course it's that asshole. He was all over her in high school, and never gave up despite the numerous times she sweetly turned him down.

"Wow." It's all he can find himself to say. It's quiet, until her soft voice fills the room again.

"Naruto-kun, I think he used the bathroom." 

He looks at Boruto, who has a satisfied look on his face. The same face he makes after he's pooped. 

"Let me change him. I'll be right back." He takes his son out of her arms, and speed walks to his nursery. 

After two months, he thought he'd get used to changing diapers, but he hasn't. It makes him gag after he's done a number two, and he still has a fear that he'd pee in the middle of him changing him. 

When he comes back to the living room, a clean Boruto in his hands, Hinata is in the same spot he left her, which makes him breathe a sigh of relief. 

"He doesn't stink anymore." She turns her head, and smiles. "He's clean now." He puts him back in his carrier, wrapping his small blanket around him. 

"Naruto-kun, I wanted to tell you something." She turns her body to him. 

"Oh no. What happened?" 

"It's nothing bad." He has a feeling he knows what she's about to say. "I want to let you know you can count on me. Whatever you need, I'm here for you." 

He knew this speech was going to start, and it usually annoyed him, but he liked hearing it from her. 

"You have all of us, so don't hesitate to call." She puts a hand on his thigh. 

"I know, Hinata. I'm fine. I promise." The lie slips out easily, given he's said it more than once. "If I need something, I'll call you. Or anyone else if you're not available." 

"Okay, but-"

"No buts. I give you my word." That seems to relax her, and she nods.

"Well, I made tonkatsu. All you need to do is heat it in the oven, and you can eat it." 

He nods. "I appreciate it. A lot." He knows he probably wouldn't eat if she hadn't brought him something. He would be too busy with Boruto. 

She stands up, and makes her way over to the door. "Don't forget to call if you need me."

"I will." He has a feeling she knows he won't, but at least she says it anyway. 

"Okay then, I'll see you later." She waves, and begins walking away. 

He watches her retreating form as she walks down the driveway, and eventually makes it to her car. She waves again, and he waves back, and takes it as his cue to close the door. 

He walks back to Boruto, and sits on the couch in front of him. 

"Well Boruto, it looks like it's just you and me." 


	2. Chapter 2

Uzumaki Naruto was a loud person. He was boisterous, and could get a party started just with his voice. He now curses his loudness, because apparently the gene rubbed off on Boruto. 

His cries could more than likely be heard by the neighbors, which he was embarrassed about. His son had kept him up all night, and probably the Sarutobi's that lived right next door. He'd been crying pretty much all night, and almost all day. One would think Boruto would want a break from yelling, but apparently not. 

The reason he was crying so much? Naruto wasn't 100% sure. But he's 73% sure it has to do with Boruto's favorite blankie that he'd managed to lose. 

"It's okay, Boruto. Sssshhh." He bounces up and down softly as he walks around the living room, trying to calm his child down, but it's not working. He throws another couch pillow onto the ground with his free hand, to see if the small blanket is hiding under there. 

It's not. 

As if he's figured that out, Boruto's cries get louder. He wasn't sure that was possible, but Naruto's eardrums are traumatized from the screaming. 

After Boruto threw up on his shirt, he was forced to take it off, which now resulted in his skin being soaked with tears and snot. He would be disgusted, but right now the only thing he was worried about was getting the fucking blankie. 

"Okay, why don't we try something else?" He walks to his play area, and picks up a  _ different  _ blanket. "This one is nice! This one Hinata knit, and-" Boruto drops it on the ground, and Naruto huffs. 

This wouldn't be happening if Shion was here. She would've found the stupid grey bunny blankie, and Boruto would be happy, thus making Naruto happy. 

If Shion were there, he would've at  _ least  _ gotten a good 4 hours of sleep, and he could probably eat something that wasn't instant ramen. She could breastfeed, and he wouldn't be left stressing about whether the milk was too hot or not. 

But she's not, because she took off, and left him alone in a big house they were supposed to be moving in  _ together. _ She left him struggling to take care of a newborn, knowing he didn't have a clue on what to do. He'd never read the baby books she pushed on him, despite the amount of times she threw them at his head. He told her he'd learn through experience. 

That obviously didn't work out, and now the small amount of free time he did get, it was spent reading on bonding and soothing, and how he should figure out Boruto's sleeping schedule.

They had a plan. Or at least, he did. To raise Boruto together, and give him a loving happy environment. But apparently Shion had a different idea. 

The sudden quietness in the room brings Naruto back to the present, and he looks at Boruto to see him whimpering. His bottom lip juts out, and he's frowning at him with teary eyes. 

"Boruto, I don't know what to do." 

He doesn't, and tears start welling in his own eyes as he looks at his son. This isn't the way things should be happening. He should have two parents that would help him navigate through the world, instead of just the one that didn't have a clue of what he was doing. 

He hears Boruto's voice start to hum, and he mutters a silent 'fuck' before the yelling starts again. 

It's back to looking for the blankie again, and tears start falling down his face.

He's not supposed to be doing this alone. He doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and now he's soley responsible for a tiny human. Boruto doesn't have a mother, and Naruto doesn't have a partner to help him through anything that's going on.  _ She  _ was the one that knew everything about taking care of a child.  _ She  _ was the one that was supposed to help him.

She's gone, and now he's standing in (what was supposed to be) their house, crying with Boruto over a bunny blankie. 

The doorbell suddenly rings, and Naruto rolls his teary eyes. Now isn't the best time for someone to be coming over, but he walks to the door anyway. He's prepared to yell at the person 'get away', until he opens the door and sees who it is. 

Hinata stands there, another dish in her hands, and the smile on her face immediately falls. The sight of a crying Naruto and Boruto is probably the last thing she was expecting, and she immediately makes her way into his house, kicking her shoes off at the door. 

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Her voice is laced with concern and worry, and it makes Naruto's tears fall quicker. His mind is screaming at him to get a grip so he doesn't look like a complete fool, but he's too overwhelmed with emotion. 

She sets her dish on the coffee table, and immediately walks back to the crying Uzumaki's. She takes Boruto out of his arms, and Naruto uses the opportunity to wipe the tears on his face with his hands. 

Hinata bounces the same way Naruto was just before he came in, but it doesn't make his son's cries lessen. 

"Naruto-kun tell me what's wrong." 

He sniffs, and he thinks he looks pathetic as hell, but her voice is comforting. 

"Boruto lost his blankie." He sounds so stupid. "We can't find it even though we looked through the whole house, and-"

"We can handle that-"

"-it's  _ gone  _ and it's never coming back. And now Boruto is sad and I'm sad because the fucking blankie is gone."

He chokes on his words at the end, and he looks at Hinata. 

"Naruto-kun-"

"It's the only blankie he likes. There are no other blankies. And I don't even know if he's crying over the blankie but it always makes him stop crying when he's sad, y'know?" 

He sniffs, and wipes the falling tears with his hands, given he doesn't have a shirt. The fact that he doesn't even have a shirt on somehow embarrasses him even more.

"I can find the blankie Naruto-kun, but you need to calm down." 

"I'm calm." He crosses his arms. 

"Did you sleep today?" He took a 30 minute cat nap while Boruto was sleeping, but he woke up when he heard his cries through the baby monitor. 

"I took a nap." 

"Okay, this is what we're going to do." She shifts Boruto, who's still wailing, to her other hip, and continues to bounce. "You're going to sleep, and I'll handle Boruto." 

"But-"

"We'll find the blankie. You're exhausted, and you're not going to help us."

"Hinata, I'm fine. Honest, I took a nap-"

"I'm being authoritative." He realizes she's serious, and she furrows her eyebrows in an attempt at being 'authoritative'. "Take a nap. That's my order. Okay?" 

He doesn't want to. He would much rather help, and do something  _ useful _ , to bandage his wounded pride. But instead he nods, and makes his way up the stairs.

And when he lays in his bed, his mind tunes out Boruto's cries, and the yelling in his head. Instead, he goes into a deep sleep. 

* * *

When he wakes up, he immediately looks at the baby monitor, and is relieved to see Boruto sleeping in his crib, bunny blankie in hand. He looks at the clock next to the monitor, and it reads 2:07 AM, which means he'd slept 10 hours. 

Naruto gets out of bed with a groan, and makes his way downstairs. He's expecting to see a handwritten note from Hinata, which is why it shocks him to see her sleeping on his couch. 

He makes his way over to her, and sits on the ground in front of her. 

Her hair is in her face, and he tucks the strands behind her ear. Behind the curtain of hair shows her parted lips, and her button nose that's tinted pink. She looks peaceful. So peaceful, that he almost doesn't want to wake her up. But he does, by gently shaking her shoulder. She moans, which makes him blush, and her eyes flutter open in confusion. 

"Good morning. Or, good night I should say." He smiles, and she sleepily blinks. 

"Did Boruto wake you?"

"No, um…I woke up myself." She nods. "I want to thank you. For what you did today. Y'know, like finding the blankie and everything. And for letting me sleep." 

She nods and sits up, but Naruto doesn't move from his position on the floor. 

"How was your rest?" Her voice is laced in sleep, but he doesn't mind. It's still comforting to him. 

"It was really good. I haven't slept like that in forever." He actually really needed the rest, and the time alone without Boruto, so he's genuinely grateful to her.

"I'm glad." She smiles at him, and he sheepishly grins. Having her attention directed towards him always made him nervous, and he scratches the back of his head. "Do you want to tell me why you were crying now?" 

"What?" The question catches him off guard. 

"I know you weren't crying about the blankie Naruto-kun." He wonders if it was that obvious, or if she just knew him too well. 

"It's nothing. I'll be fine." 

She frowns. "You know you can talk to me about anything." She places a hand on his bended knee, and the touch makes him relax. "I'm here for you." 

His eyes widen. Hearing those words from  _ her  _ makes his stomach flip, which he's slightly annoyed about. He was sure he'd buried the feelings he had for her a long time ago, but being around her makes it difficult for him. 

"It's really nothing." He would smile, but he doesn't feel like forcing it. 

"Tell me what nothing is." She's being persistent, and he has a feeling that she's not going to leave his house until she gets an answer from him. 

"I'm just worried. That's it." He scratches his hair, and looks at the ground. 

"What are you worried about?" He knows it's easy to talk to Hinata, he'd ranted to her on more than one occasion during their youth, but now he curses her ability to get him to talk. 

"I um…I'm just worried about Boruto. That's it." His gaze is still on the ground, and it doesn't move when he feels her legs brush against his arm. She's sitting next to him now. 

"There's nothing to be worried about. He's healthy, and happy-"

"No he's not." He doesn't mean to say it out loud, but it slips out anyway. 

"What do you mean?" She had an ability to get him to talk, and he hates it right now. 

"He's not happy with me." 

"Why wouldn't he be happy with you?" She knows how to say the right things. He shouldn't be surprised; she could breathe and he'd be at her beck and call. He was always like this.  _ They  _ were always like this. 

"Um…he cries all the time. And I thought it was just a normal baby thing, but he cries more than most babies do." He knows, because he looked up on it. "And um…I realized it's probably because he misses…he misses his mom." He doesn't want to say her name out loud.

"And I tried to do everything to get him to love me. Like all the bonding and soothing tricks I read up on. But it's not working." Tears start welling up in his eyes, and he groans. He can't even talk without getting emotional. 

"Keep going. I'm listening."

"Um…y'know, it's just…I think he wants something that I can't give him. He wants his mom, and I can't be that for him." His voice cracks, and he groans again, because he's fucking crying and he doesn't have a grip on his emotions. "I can't…I can't be his mom  _ and _ his dad, y'know?" 

"It's not your job to be." 

"Yes it is. Because I'm the only person he has." He wipes his tears away, and continues. "He doesn't have anyone else because  _ she  _ left him, and now I'm stuck not knowing what to do." 

"Naruto-kun." She places a hand on his arm, and he hesitantly looks at her. "Boruto has a lot of people in his life that care about him. He has me, and Sasuke and Sakura, and his grandparents, and-"

"He doesn't have a mother though." The room grows silent, as she thinks of what to say. 

"You know my mother died when I was young. I don't remember her." He looks at her. "I turned out alright, didn't I?" She turned out perfect, but he wouldn't say that out loud. "I know the situation is different, but it'll end up being okay. Because he has you." 

"I'm an awful dad." He's wallowing in self pity now, but he finds that it's kind of nice to talk to someone about everything that's been plaguing his mind.

"Naruto-kun, no you're not. It's only been two months." She rubs his arm. 

"I don't even know what I'm doing. And he can probably tell."

"You love him. And you're trying your best. That's all you can really do, right?" 

He nods, and her hand cups his cheek. He turns to look at her. 

"You're doing everything you can to give Boruto the life you know he deserves. I know it's hard, and you probably feel like you're doing it alone, but you have so many people that are here to help." They hold eye contact, and he's not strong enough to look away.

"Boruto doesn't hate you. He's a baby, he doesn't even know what that word means." He gives a weak smile at her attempt at a joke. "The only thing you can do is try your best. Right?" 

"Yeah." 

"Okay then." She smiles. "So let's do everything in our power to take care of Boruto." 

She's trying so hard to give an encouraging speech. He was the one that was better at speeches than she was, but the fact that she's trying makes his heart tug. And oddly, her small speech makes him feel better. A lot better. 

"Thank you." Her hand moves from his cheek to his bare shoulder, and she squeezes the muscle. 

"I'm here for you. Always." He nods, and she crosses her legs. 

"So is there anything you want to tell me?" She looks at him. "Y'know, since I just finished pouring my heart and soul to you." 

She smiles. "Maybe another day." He nods, and she struggles to stand up, but she eventually does. "I should be heading home." 

"Oh! Right." He stands up next to her.

"Boruto fell asleep a couple of hours ago, so you should have some time to relax." 

He's happy at that fact. He'll definitely squeeze in a shower before he wakes up, given it's been a couple of days.

"I really appreciate you, Hinata." She blushes, and he smiles. 

"It's no problem. I'll come back as soon as I can to check up on you." 

"You don't have to-"

"I insist." She walks towards the door, and he follows her.

"By the way, where did you find the blankie?" 

Hinata giggles before answering. "It was in the refrigerator." 

His face crinkles in confusion, until he remembers what happened. He'd read somewhere that babies liked warm blankies, so he'd tried heating it up. Long story short, he overheated it, and decided to put it in the fridge. 

"I'm so stupid." 

"No you're not." He certainly feels like he is. "I'll see you soon." 

She squeezes his arm, before walking out the door, leaving him again. He doesn't mind the fact that he's alone now, because she gave him time to relax, without having to think about Boruto. 

He spends that time finally showering, and eating the home cooked ramen she left in the fridge, with a note that said  _ 'it's better than the microwaveable kind!'.  _

He spends that time thinking of her. 

A part of Naruto was still surprised at the fact that she was helping him out so much. He shouldn't be shocked though, she was always there for him. When they were kids, she let him copy off her schoolwork. And when they were teens, she tutored him (because there were only so many times one could cheat without getting caught). And now as adults, she was helping him with Boruto. 

She was always there for him, and no matter how many times he thought she would leave his side, she never did. He made a promise to himself that he would never take her kindness for granted. 

But he was always there for her too. When she got bullied, he was the one that would defend her (even though he always ended up getting beat up). And he was the one that encouraged her when she told him she was feeling down, and felt like giving up. 

Naruto and Hinata would always be there for each other. And everyone around them knew it. He was also fairly certain everyone knew they both had feelings for each other too. 

For as long as he could remember, Naruto was in love with Hyuga Hinata. He loved her as a child, when he was a loud energetic kid, and she was a socially anxious loner. He loved her when they were teens, when he was still loud and energetic, and she was still a popular quiet loner. He always loved her. 

And as one does when they're in love with someone, he confessed. 

It wasn't  _ really  _ a confession, it was more of him telling him he loved her in the heat of the moment. I love you could mean a lot of different things. It could mean he was  _ in love  _ with her, or it could mean he loved her as a friend. She assumed he meant the latter, because all she said was I love you too and walked away. 

Even if she did love him back, it could never work out in high school. And they both knew that fact. Mainly because of the fact that her dad  _ hated  _ him, but also because he would be going to college miles away from Konoha, and she would stay home.

And sometimes he wondered if now that they were older, they could get together. But he was married, and she was engaged to that silver haired asshole. There was always something in the way of them getting together. 

And he wondered if maybe it simply wasn't meant to be.

Boruto's moving in the sleep monitor distracts him from his thoughts, and he makes his way back to the nursery. 

His break is over, and it's back to another day as a father. 

"Alright Boruto, let's go." 

* * *

_**so Naruto is an emotional wreck, but that's what parenthood does to you!** _ **_i_ ** _**hope you enjoyed this chapter!** _


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome back!

"The door is open!" 

Naruto rubs Boruto's small back in soothing circles, and he tries to get the baby to burp. He looks up at Hinata, who's walked in the house. 

"Hey." She's taken to coming over his house at least every other day, so he's not surprised at her presence. 

"Naruto-kun, I have a surprise!" 

"Oh no." He at her, her hands hidden behind her back, and he stares as she excitedly presents a picnic basket. 

"We're leaving the house today!" 

Of course she would try to get him out of the house.

The last time he left the house was a month ago, for a routine grocery store run, and it had ended terribly. Boruto wouldn't stop screaming in the store, and they eventually had to leave when the stares got to be too much for them (or him, he should say). He decided he would much rather pay for someone to pick up their groceries than to face that embarrassment ever again. 

"Hinata, I can't." He realizes he doesn't have an excuse, and Hinata uses that to her advantage. 

"I planned a picnic in the park, and it won't be crowded." 

"We'll pass-"

"Boruto needs sunlight and fresh air, Naruto-kun. You can't keep him cooped up in the house forever." 

She has a point. With a frown, Naruto thinks of a way he can rebuttal. 

"Well-" Boruto finally burps in his ear. He smiles, and congratulates his son who starts smiling at the praise. He lifts him up, and the four month old giggles.

"You don't get to decide. We're all going and it'll be so fun." It won't be, and he's about to tell her, but when he turns to look at her she has a grin on her face he can't say no to. 

"I'll watch Boruto while you get ready." She walks towards him, and steps over his feet to sit on the couch next to him. 

"Hinata." 

"This will be so good for you two. So go get ready." 

He knows a picnic won't make him feel any better, but he reluctantly gets off the couch anyway. 

* * *

He was wrong.

Although the brightness of the sun hurt his eyes at first, he now realized just how much he missed it. The warmth on his skin, and the cool breeze that occasionally flows past. It's nice, and he's not the only one that seems to be enjoying it. 

Boruto lays on his stomach, and his small fist grabs a handful of grass (which for him is two blades), and Hinata quickly takes it out of his hand as he opens his mouth to eat it. 

"We don't eat grass, Boruto!" She picks him up, placing him in her crossed legs. "That's very bad." 

Naruto watches her as she moves Boruto's arms around. His small hand has a hold on her finger, and she laughs when he attempts to bring it to his mouth. 

"I would say he's hungry, but he just ate-"

"You're a good mom." He says what he's thinking before he processes it in his mind, and she freezes her movements. 

Shit. 

"I mean, you'll be a great mom. You're obviously not Boruto's mom…sorry…" 

"It's okay-"

"I shouldn't have said that I'm sorry-"

"Naruto-kun." She places a hand on his thigh. "I know what you meant. It's fine." 

He looks at her, and her expression is so comforting he finds himself relaxing. 

"It's true though. You'll make a really good mom." He cringes when he sees the smile fall from her face. 

"I wish I could be a mom." She looks ahead of her, staring into space as she holds Boruto's hand. 

"You can be." He has a feeling he said something he wasn't supposed to. 

"No, I can't." His eyes widen in horror as he realizes it's probably for a medical reason. 

"Hinata I'm so sorry-"

"Toneri doesn't want kids." She looks down at the ground, and he breathes a sigh of relief for his sake. And hers. "He doesn't like them, so we won't be having any." 

"Maybe he'll change his mind about it? You're both young still so maybe-" 

"He had a baby with someone else." She's opening up to him, and he curses himself for not having any words to say. "He doesn't see the baby or anything, so I know he's serious about it."

"It's why we postponed the wedding." Brick after brick is being thrown at Naruto, while Boruto innocently laughs at it all. 

"So he had a baby on you?" 

"No, he just didn't tell me about it." Naruto nods. 

"So Toneri is still an asshole." Hinata smiles, but he can tell she doesn't mean it. 

"You don't deserve that. You deserve to have a family, and as many kids as you want, y'know?" She looks at him. "I think you should be with someone that loves you enough to tell you about their past. And they should treat you how you deserve to be treated, because you're fucking amazing Hinata."

"I'm not-"

"You are. You-"

He's interrupted by Boruto sneezing, and he groans. Hinata laughs, and an annoyed Naruto grabs his hat and his jacket. He hands them over to Hinata, who starts putting them on the child.

"I shouldn't have told you all of that. I'm sorry." She's quiet, but he can still hear her. 

"Don't apologize. I'm glad you told me. Now I actually have an excuse for hating Toneri." 

Hinata laughs, and playfully nudges him. The motion makes her chest drift from side to side, and Boruto uses the opportunity to reach for her assets. Hinata's face turns red, and Naruto laughs as she attempts to pry Boruto's small hands off her chest. 

"He keeps on doing things he's not supposed to!" 

"He gets it from me." 

Her blush deepens, and he continues laughing. 

* * *

When he and Boruto get home, Sakura is waiting for him at the front door. 

"You're never gone! Where were you?" 

He's not even on the front doorstep before she's yelling at him. 

"I was out." Naruto unlocks the door, and pushes it open with his shoulder. 

"With who?" She steps in his house before he has a chance to. "Let me guess, Hinata?" 

He closes the door and locks it, before walking over to Boruto's playpen. Sakura continues to talk. 

"You two need to cool it down. Whatever this 'thing' is that you're doing-"

"We're not doing a 'thing'." He sits in the playpen, Boruto sitting in his lap. 

"Oh please, everyone's been watching her come over your house every other day." He has no retort. "She's not even subtle about it." 

"She's just helping me with Boruto. That's what everyone's been telling me. 'Get help Naruto, you need it.' So I'm getting help, and now everyone has a problem with it?"

"Naruto, that's not what we mean."

"Then what the hell do you mean?" 

Boruto lays on Naruto's lap, his small head lying on his thigh. His presence reminds Naruto to not get upset.

"We all know how you are around Hinata." He can feel a blush coming on. "And being a new parent makes you extra sensitive. Your emotions are all over the place, and-"

"I'm fine, Sakura. I'm dealing with it." 

"-We just don't want you to do anything…irrational." 

"So trying to get with Hinata is irrational?" He's not even _trying_ to get with her, but he's curious at Sakura's response. 

"Yes! You're still married and she's engaged. Not to mention Boruto!"

"Keep your voice down, he's sleeping." 

Sakura's face softens, and she sits on the couch. 

"Everyone said they'll be there for me. They said they'll help me with him, and…and no one followed through except for Hinata." Sakura tries to interrupt, but he continues. "She's the only one who's been there. So don't talk about something you don't know anything about." 

"I get you want help, and I wish we could help more, but Sasuke and I just had Sarada-"

"I know-"

"And everyone is really busy. But we're trying. We're really _really_ trying." Maybe he's being selfish for wanting more help. And he considers that in the silence that follows Sakura's last statement. 

"Do you think…do you think you're trying to use Hinata as a replacement for Shion's absence?"

"What? No! Where the hell did that come from?" 

"She's been here almost every day after work, and I'm sure Boruto is getting used to her…you know this is the time in the baby's life where they get attached to people…" 

"She's been acting a lot like a mom…and a wife…" He glares at the wall. For some reason what she's saying is pissing him off. Maybe because she's right. "I don't want you two to end up hurting each other." 

"Sakura, it's fine-"

"It's not! Because you two are always gonna have this weird connection and adding a newborn baby to the mix isn't helping anything!"

"I don't know what you want me to say. I can't control my emotions and raise a kid at the same fucking time." 

"You're going to have to. And you have to tell Hinata that she can't come by so often." He glares at Sakura. "If you don't, I will." 

He feels like Sakura is prying herself into something that's none of her business. The one good thing that's happened to him in four months (besides Boruto's birth), she's trying to take away. 

"I don't want to do this without her." He spits the statement out. 

"And you don't have to. But she's getting way too close, and she's too sweet to know that what she's doing isn't healthy for you." 

He wants to tell her it _is_ healthy for him. She's been a constant in the past two months, and waking up every other day knowing she'll eventually be there makes his anxiety about being a new father lessen. 

"I know it's scary, but you have to do this alone, okay?"

"That's easy for you to say, you have Sasuke." 

"Naruto, quit making this so difficult." She puts her head in her hands. "I'm trying to help you and you're being stubborn." 

"I get it. I'll tell her not to come by so often. Happy?" 

"Don't be like that." She always knows when he's upset, and it annoys him now. "You have to believe in yourself enough to raise Boruto alone. You're not going to have people to count on. Hinata isn't going to be there forever." 

It's the reality he's been avoiding. The first month he was alone, and he could barely handle it. Maybe because Boruto was a newborn, or maybe because being a parent is fucking difficult. 

"I said I got it, Sakura. You can go now." 

For the first time in four months, he wants to be alone. He wants to stew in the thoughts he's been avoiding.

"Naruto-"

"You said what you needed to say, and I got it. So just go." 

Sakura stares at him, for thirty seconds too long, before she hesitantly stands up. 

"I'll come back to check on you, okay?" 

He stares at the wall. It's childish of him to be mad at her, but right now she's the only one he can be mad at. Besides himself.

She closes the door, leaving him sitting on the floor with a sleeping Boruto in his lap. 

He knows he's not trying to use Hinata as a replacement. She's…different. She's always been different. The person she is for him and Boruto is different from being a stand-in mom. She's not up at midnight trying to calm a restless Boruto. She's not there when he doesn't know what to do. But somehow, she's there when he needs him most. When he's about to have a panic attack, or faint due to lack of sleep. She's there. 

But now after talking to Sakura, he wonders if he's been relying on her too much. He wonders if all those moments she's helped, he could've done it alone. He's not sure, but he realizes he has to try. 

**_Naruto_ **

_Hey, I just wanted to let you know you don't have to come by so often._

**_Hinata_ **

_It's fine! I'll always make time for you._

**_Naruto_ **

_Actually I would prefer if you didn't._

**_Hinata_ **

_Oh…_

**_Naruto_ **

_You've been so helpful, and I really REALLY appreciate it, but I think it's best if you don't come by so often. I think it'll confuse Boruto, y'know?_

**_Hinata_ **

_I understand. I'm sorry for overstepping any boundaries._

**_Naruto_ **

_Don't apologize. You've been so helpful. I appreciate you so much._

**_Hinata_ **

_I appreciate you too._

He's not sure how to reply to that, so he doesn't. Instead, he picks up Boruto, and walks to his bedroom. He lays his child on the bed, right underneath the covers next to him. 

He doesn't want to be alone tonight. And as he goes to sleep, he realizes he at least has Boruto. He'll always be there, and that'll be enough. It has to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

_**welcome back!** _

* * *

Six months. 

Naruto has been a father for six months. There's been ups and downs, and although he had no idea about what he was doing at first, him and Boruto were slowly figuring it out. They had a schedule, and his son actually kept up with it…for the most part. 

Boruto was growing. He was double the weight he was as a newborn, and he was beginning to respond more to Naruto's talking. The first time he'd heard his baby actually make a noise he cried, which resulted in Boruto laughing at him. Although his then five month old child was making fun of him, it still filled him with a joy he couldn't get anywhere else.

It's been six months, and three months of hardly seeing Hinata. She'd come to visit a handful of times, and each time made him realize just how much he missed her. She still treated him the same, and he didn't know if that made things better or worse, after him telling her not to come over as much. 

The days turned to months, until eventually the fateful day came. Today was Boruto's six month birthday, and Naruto wants to give his son the greatest birthday a six month old could ask for. 

He walks out of his lawyer's office, papers in hand, with a smile on his face. Today is a good day, not just because it's his birthday, but because he'd finally gotten a chance to get _the papers_ from his lawyer. 

Divorce papers seemed like a good present to give Boruto; it was the proof that his mother wouldn't be in his life anymore. 

Boruto deserved that, because he deserved better than a mother like Shion. This was the one thing tying both of them to her, and he wanted to sever that bond. It's what they both needed to move on. 

The smile on Naruto's face falls when he sees a familiar face walking out of an office. He hopes he doesn't catch him, but Toneri's eyes meet him. 

They glare at each other for ten seconds too long, until Toneri plasters a fake smile on his face and walks over to him. 

"Naruto! What are you doing here?" 

He slaps his shoulder in a 'friendly' manner, and Naruto feels disgusted. Regardless, he decides to be civil. Today is too good of a day. 

"I had something to take care of." It's the nicest way he could think of saying 'it's none of your business'. 

"I actually wanted to talk to you. Do you have time?" Toneri wraps his arm around his shoulders, and leads him towards his office although Naruto never let out a response. 

He closes the door and walks to his desk, leaving Naruto standing by the door.

"What do you want?" 

The smile falls on Toneri's face, but he's not surprised. He's always been a fake person. 

"I want you to stay away from Hinata." 

Naruto blinks, staring at the silver haired man with an unreadable expression on his face. 

"You want me to stay away from Hinata?" He repeats the statement.

"Yes." 

He stares, waiting for Toneri to elaborate, and crosses his arms. 

"She's been…different than normal-"

"What does that have to do with me?" The politeness is slowly leaving him. 

"You're the reason why." 

He doesn't want to get pissed on his son's half birthday, but he can feel the familiar feeling of anger bubbling inside of him. Toneri continues. 

"I know my fiancé. She's kind, and loving, and she cares a lot about her friends. She cares a lot about you surprisingly." Naruto scoffs. "I'm not going to pretend like I don't know about her feelings for you. But whatever you two had when you were kids is over. She's moved on-"

"Are you sure about that? Because you're trying to threaten me about her."

"She's moved on, and she doesn't need you working your way back into her life, throwing your baby in her face."

"You're kidding me, right?" He's somewhat amused at the situation he's got himself in unknowingly. "She hasn't even come over that often-"

"She still talks about you. Too much for my liking." His heart tugs at that fact, but he's still pissed. His eyes remain cold.

"You really think I'm trying to lure Hinata back with my baby? Are you serious?" 

"No, but you're causing feelings to arise in her." 

"Should you even be telling me this?" It sounds way too personal, although he doesn't mind hearing what Hinata feels about him. "It's not my fault she likes me and Boruto. You can't control what Hinata does or doesn't do, and who she spends her time with. You don't own her."

"I don't, but I want to keep her safe." 

"From me? Or from Boruto?" 

"From both of you." 

He would start laughing at the fact that Toneri is threatened by a single dad and his six month old, but the situation is so serious that it isn't funny. 

"Maybe if you introduced her to your child she'd forget about mine." It's a low blow, and he smiles when Toneri grips the edge of his desk. Naruto stands up. 

"Threaten me with some bullshit like that again, and I'll tell Hinata." He grabs his papers off Toneri's desk and walks out. 

* * *

"Mom, wipe his mouth! You're getting it all over him."

"I know what I'm doing. I raised you for 25 years didn't I?" 

Naruto rolls his eyes at Kushina, and reaches over her to wipe off his son's mouth anyway. 

"And why would you put him in a suit?" 

"It's his birthday!" 

Naruto thought he was being overdramatic about his son's six month birthday, but he quickly realized his mother was worse.

His parents lived six hours away from him, so he's glad that they took the time to come visit him and Boruto, given he had no one else to celebrate the occasion with.

"Did you get the papers?" Minato speaks up. 

"Yeah…I got them." 

Naruto takes Boruto out of his mother's hands, much to her dismay. She continues to hold the child's attention by making faces at him.

"So when are you giving them to her? 

"I don't know where she is." 

Kushina and Minato look at each other, then at him. He decides to continue talking so he won't worry them. 

"It's fine. Konan said she's giving her them, and I got a copy in case of an emergency." He moves Boruto so he can sit on his lap. "Just in case she comes back-"

"That bitch isn't coming back." He glares at his mother, and his father mutters out a 'language please'. "Don't count on her coming back-"

"I don't want her to come back. But just in case she does, I have the papers. Okay?" 

"But-"

"Honey, just drop it please." Minato tries stopping his wife from a tirade that's about to come. She huffs, and the room is quiet until she starts talking again.

"Y'know I never liked her." He glares at his mother. "What did I tell you when you told me you were proposing?" 

"Do we really need to be talking about this-" Naruto doesn't get the chance to say on his son's birthday, given Kushina interrupts. 

"I said it was a mistake. But no, you didn't want to listen to me. Now look at you." He really doesn't want to hear 'I told you so' from his mother, but it comes anyway.

"Do you have to be so harsh about it honey?" Of course his father, being the nice man he is, tries to step in.

"It's the truth! You can't-"

The doorbell rings, and Naruto gives a silent thanks to Kami. Before his mother continues talking, he places Boruto in her arms, and goes to the door. He looks through the peephole to see who it is, and when he sees he immediately looks back at his mother.

"Mom, please don't say anything embarrassing." 

"What?"

"Dad, make sure she doesn't say anything stupid."

"I never say anything stupid you-"

The doorbell rings again and Naruto opens the door, because he unfortunately can't avoid it forever. 

The sight of his friends standing on his doorstep with party hats on makes him smile, despite how cheesy it is. 

Sakura and Ino don't give him a chance to invite them in; they push past him into the house, and immediately go towards Boruto. 

Sasuke holding Sarada, Shikamaru and Temari, Sai, and Rock Lee all step in after greeting him, until the last person on the doorstep is Hinata, carrying more bags than can fit on her arms. 

"Naruto-kun, we're so sorry we're late!"

"You assholes really left her with all the bags?!" He yells in the house, before looking at her with a smile. "You weren't late, it's fine." He helps her with what's in her hands, but he frowns as soon as they step in the house.

"There's the girl I wanted you to marry!" 

Naruto's face turns red at his mother's statement, but he's relieved to see Hinata smiling back at his mother. 

"Kushina-sama, it's so good to see you!" His mother's arms wrap around her, but she can't hug back given she's still holding presents. 

"I was just telling Naruto-"

"No, you're not telling her that." He decides to break them apart, and begins leading his mother back in the kitchen. 

"You don't know what I was going to say!" 

He knows it had something to do with Shion, and he didn't want that subject to be brought up around Hinata. 

"Where's Boruto?" 

Kushina points to the crowd of people surrounding Ino, and he can assume she's holding him. He's now gotten used to the lack of attention he gets from people; it all goes to Boruto, which he doesn't mind. He feels his son deserves it. 

"We brought Boruto a lot of gifts Naruto-kun." He looks at Hinata.

"I can see. You guys didn't have to do all this."

"We wanted to." She grabs his hand, and he looks down when he feels her touch. "You deserve so much." 

Hinata sounds so sincere, and it makes his heart skip beats. He stares at her, thinking about what she said, and wonders if he deserves her too. 

"Naruto, come over here quick!" 

Before he can say anything to Hinata, Temari is screaming for him. He gives her an apologetic look before making his way over to the crowd, silently thankful that he doesn't need to respond. 

After all, he wouldn't know what to say.

* * *

"So, we're dads now." 

Sasuke sits on the couch next to Naruto, a glass of water in his hand (since Naruto refused to serve alcohol at his six month old's birthday party). He looks at the profile of his best friend, who has a rare smile on his face as he looks at his wife and daughter laughing at something Ino had done. 

"Yeah…fatherhood looks better on me than you though." He could see the eyebags on Sasuke's usual clear face, and could almost see the hint of a smile line beginning to form. He assumes Sasuke can't help but smile around Sarada.

"You're such an ass." Naruto lets out a laugh, one he hasn't had in a while. 

He looks at the family that Sasuke's made for himself. His wife, Sakura; the beautiful, successful medical professional that began dating Sasuke in high school despite protest from his family. She eventually made a name for herself, proving herself to the Uchiha's and everyone in Konoha, and now they had a beautiful daughter Sarada. The four month old already was a perfect mix of the two, and although her Uchiha features were more evident, Naruto had a feeling she would grow up to be a lot like her mother. Sasuke had a family now, a beautiful one, and Naruto feels like it's the one _he_ should have. 

He looks on as Sakura holds Sarada in her lap, her head thrown back as she laughs at Sarada continues to pull Ino's long hair. Even Sasuke has a grin on his face, but Naruto can't get himself to smile. 

It should be him in this situation. 

It should be his wife laughing at his son's antics, and it should be him looking lovingly at the two of them. His wife should be here with him, celebrating their child's birth into the world. 

Boruto should be in his mother's lap, smiling up at her, or crying on her shoulder, or doing whatever it is he wants because it's his _mother._ But he doesn't have one, so him and Boruto don't get to have moments like this. 

"Are you okay?" 

He hears Sasuke's voice, and he nods. 

"I'm fine." 

Him and Boruto deserve to have the perfect family, just like the Uchiha's. But they don't get to, and although he knows he shouldn't blame himself, he can't help but wonder if he just tried harder to fix his struggling marriage, things would be different than they are now. Maybe Boruto would have someone other than just him.

He wonders if his son is just as upset as he is watching the loving scene in front of him, and he glances around, looking for the small child. 

Blurry eyes eventually catch Hinata's form, and she's carrying his son. She's laughing along with the rest of his friends, her free hand covering her mouth as she lets out soft giggles. Her attention suddenly turns to Boruto, and she adjusts him in her arms before beginning to stare at him as she smiles down. 

He wishes he would know what she's thinking; her eyes are filled with so much love and adoration towards his son that he finds that the feeling of jealousy slowly leaves him.

And just for a moment, he imagines that Hinata is a part of their small family. He imagines she's the tie that completes the Uzumaki's. He imagines that him and Boruto have someone besides each other, and he imagines that person is Hinata. 

"Naruto you can't." 

Sasuke's voice breaks him out of his spell, but he doesn't stop staring at Hinata. The image is too beautiful for him. 

"What?" 

"Quit staring at her like that." 

With a huff, he turns to look at Sasuke, who has a frown on his face. 

"Like what?"

"Like you want her."

And that's the moment Naruto realizes he does. 

He wants her to be the one that helps him change diapers, and the one he'll excitedly come to when Boruto starts walking. He wants her to be the one that helps him to give Boruto so much love that the six month old doesn't know what to do with it.

And the more he thinks about it, he realizes she is. 

She's the person he can call on for everything, and the three months spent without her made it blatantly clear. It was empty without her, until she visited occasionally and filled their lives with her presence, just enough to get them by. 

Every time she's around him - them - she fills in a gap that's missing. It's not even one that Shion could fill. 

She's the one. And he thinks she's always been the one.

And when he looks back at her, and watches her grab Boruto's small hand and wave over to him, the realization becomes more clear.

Hyuga Hinata is the one he wants to complete their family.

"I need a minute…" 

And with that, he walks out of the room. 

* * *

Eventually the guests trickled out of his home, until him and Boruto were left sitting in the living room. 

The past three months have made him fall in love with being alone with his son, so he doesn't mind the fact. He's left with a person he now knows loves him, and his thoughts of wishing another woman was his wife and the mother of his child.

A part of him feels guilty, but for now he doesn't care. 

Which is why when he goes to sleep that night, he dreams of an even better life with Hinata in it.

* * *

_**hope you enjoyed!** **  
  
  
  
  
  
**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**welcome back!** _

* * *

Naruto stares into the room outside the door, holding Boruto in his carrier. This has got to be the worst thing Sakura and Sasuke have ever recommended for him. 

Dad's Supporting Dad's. A Father's Support Group. 

The sign sticks out on the glass door; bold font making it look professional. Again, this has got to be the worst thing Sakura and Sasuke have ever recommended for him. 

Regardless, he opens the door, immediately looking for his friend. 

'…and that's when-"

The man that's talking suddenly stops, and all eyes are on Naruto as he stares into the room. They're all sitting on yoga mats, with their small children between their legs.

An older man stands up out of the chair that's in the middle, and walks towards him. 

"You must be our new dad, Uzumaki." He grips his shoulder, leading him into the circle. "I'm Jiraiya. We saved a seat for you." 

It's right next to Sasuke, which is perfect for him. He sits down on the blue yoga mat, immediately crossing his legs.

"What were you saying, Iruka?" 

"Nothing, I was done." 

It didn't sound like he was done to Naruto, but he has a feeling everyone is curious about him. 

"Naruto, why don't you give an introduction?"

"Okay…"

He's not sure what he's supposed to say. So he does the only thing he can think of. He takes Boruto out of his carrier, holding him up. 

"This is Boruto. He's six months." Boruto coos, and Naruto shows off his pride and joy. "He was born six pounds and four ounces. He really likes mashed up grapes-"

"Do you not know what to say?" Jiraiya smiles at him, and the men in the room laugh, making Naruto blush. "Your kid is adorable. But tell us about yourself." 

"Um…" He doesn't want to talk about himself. But he promised Sasuke and Sakura he'd try to give this a chance. He places Boruto in between his legs.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Um…I'm a single dad." He finds that it's embarrassing to say out loud. "That's about it." 

"Interesting. We don't have any single dads in this group." Great. So he's the only one. "Tell us what that's like."

"I mean, I take care of my kid by myself. That's pretty much it." 

"That sounds hard. And you have no one to help you?" Either Jiraiya is trying to rub it on thick, or he's naturally this dense. 

"No." He thinks about it for a second. "But sometimes my friends help me. Hinata's a big help."

"Who's Hinata?" 

He shouldn't have said it out loud. He cringes, and looks at Sasuke for help. He seems too invested in Sarada though. 

"Um…she's just a friend."

"She seems like she's really important." 

"She is." 

There's an awkward silence, before Jiraiya asks another question. 

"What about your partner? What happened to her?" 

He glares at the old man. 

"She left."

He hates the fact that all eyes are on him. It feels like he's back in high school, being reprimanded by a teacher. 

"I'm sorry to hear that. My wife left me too." He looks up. "She left me with three adopted kids, so I can understand." 

Three sounds a lot worse than just one. 

"I thought there were no single fathers in the group."

"There aren't. I remarried." Oh. "Besides, I don't count."

He nods and looks down at Boruto, playing with his small hand.

"But, we want to hear more about Hinata." 

His eyes widen, and he can feel Sasuke's eyes on him now. 

"She seems like she's really special, given you mentioned her within the first few minutes." 

"Maybe someone else wants to talk though. We've been paying attention to me for too long." He looks around the room. 

"We all finished talking before you got here." A bigger man with an adorable chubby baby speaks up. "So you can tell us about Hinata." He smiles.

"Um…there's really nothing to say. Honestly." 

It feels like they're at a sleepover now, and he's forced to talk about the girl he likes. 

"Is she a sore subject?" 

"No…I mean…she's just Hinata." 

She's always been just Hinata. Their relationship never needed to be explained. Especially now, no matter how complicated things were getting.

"It's fine. You don't have to say anymore." He breathes a sigh of relief. "But whenever you're ready, you can tell us about her. Okay?" 

He doesn't think he'll ever be ready. But he nods anyway. 

* * *

He's sleeping on the couch with Boruto on his chest, when the doorbell rings. Becoming a father has turned him into a light sleeper, so the one ding is enough to wake him up. 

He walks to Boruto's nursery, placing his son in his crib before going to the door. 

Hinata is standing on his doorstep. She immediately smiles and steps into his house when he opens the door. 

"Hello Naruto-kun." 

"Hi, Hinata. What's going on?" 

He's exhausted; him and Boruto had a long day. But he wouldn't tell Hinata that; especially since she's visiting him. It's been a while. 

"I-I was wondering if we could talk." 

He knows the signs when she's nervous. She'll rub her sweaty palms on her jeans, and then begin to touch her fingertips together. She'll start stuttering, and he hopes she doesn't, because she broke that habit years ago, and he doesn't want to be the one that brings it back. 

"What's going on?" 

He tries to be a comfort to her, even though his stomach is in knots, because of his realization that he's in love with her. Being around her feels overwhelming. 

"I um…I wanted to talk to you." She continues to look down, but turns her body before him. "I know that you wanted me to stay away…but I was just wondering… if I could visit again." 

His eyebrows raise. 

"I won't visit as often, but I really just want to…" She doesn't finish her sentence, and they're left in an awkward silence. 

He doesn't know what he should say. He wants to tell her yes; she can visit as often as she can, and she can spend time with them. He wants to tell her they miss her, because it's the truth and she deserves to know. 

But he can't. 

He can't listen to that part of him that's screaming for him to tell her he wants her. He can't tell her to drop everything in her life and be with him. He can't tell her he wants her to complete his family. 

Because that would be selfish. 

It would be selfish, and cruel to her, and unfair because she already has a life. And Sakura, and Sasuke, and even Toneri are correct in saying that he has to stay away from her. 

"Um…" He doesn't want to say the words he's about to, but he doesn't have a choice. It's for her own good. And although it doesn't feel like it, it's for him and Boruto's own good as well. 

"You can't." 

She finally looks up at him, her eyes showing her shock. 

"You can't visit anymore." 

"Why?" 

He doesn't have an answer for her. Or at least, a good lie he can tell other than the truth. 

"I don't want to confuse Boruto." 

It's the same thing he said last time, and he knows she knows it's an excuse. 

"But how am I confusing Boruto?" 

"Um…I'm really sorry but you just can't come over anymore. Like, at all y'know?" 

It's harder for him to spit out the words than he thought, and the look on her face makes him feel worse. 

"I'm really sorry-" 

"Naruto-kun can you just tell me the truth? We've always been honest with each other." She looks up at him, and her watery eyes make him feel worse. 

"Just tell me why you don't want me over anymore. Did…did I do something?" 

The only thing she did was be her perfect self, and that was enough. And as much as he's trying to be strong for her, it's becoming harder the more seconds that pass. 

"You didn't do anything." His hand tucks her hair behind her ear, and he cups her cheek. "I promise you didn't do anything."

"Then why can't I come over anymore?" 

Her wide eyes look up at him, and it's getting harder to ignore what he's been feeling. Because she's right here with him, looking up at him, and all he wants to do is soothe her worries. He looks down at her lips, and he promises himself it'll just be for a second, but he can't stop looking. They're pulling him in, and he can't stop himself.

"You can't…" He's trying. But it's getting harder. And just when she's about to ask him why again, his lips meet hers.

It'll just be for a second, he tells himself. But he can't stop himself. She feels perfect against him, and just when he's about to pull away, she kisses him back. 

He grabs her hips and pulls her in closer. Her hands thread into his hair, and his tongue makes entrance into her mouth. 

He's kissing Hyuga Hinata, and everything is perfect. 

And then she pulls away. 

She stares up at him, an unreadable expression on her face. His forehead is against hers, and he still can't stop looking at her lips. 

"…that's why you can't come over anymore." 

He's not sure what he wants her to respond with, maybe an 'I don't care. I'm coming over anyway.' But that had never been her personality, although she could be persistent when she wanted to be. 

"I…um…" 

Shit. 

"Um…I shouldn't have done that." She untangles herself from him. He knows her well enough to know she's panicking. Although you can't tell from looking at her. 

"Hinata it's fine. It was my fault." She looks up at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm really sorry." 

"Um…I don't know if we can…Naruto-kun…" 

He takes an intake of air, not knowing what to say. It sounds better than her saying that they can't, which is what everyone else told him. He wonders if she wants him just as much as he wants her.

"I have to go." 

She's out the door before he has a chance to stop her.

* * *

He's sitting on the couch with his head in his head, and lets out a groan when his phone rings. 

"Now is really not a good time-"

_ "Naruto!?" _

The person on the other end is loud, and he can hardly hear them due to static. 

"Who is this?" 

_ "It's me!" _

He rolls his eyes. 

"Who is me?" 

_ "It's Shion!" _

And suddenly, everything he's built comes crashing down. 

* * *

_**hope you enjoyed! so much happened!** _


	6. Chapter 6

_**welcome back!!** _

* * *

He should really calm down. But the two words said on the other end of the phone call manage to make all the feelings he had towards his ex wife come bubbling up to the surface. 

He can't calm down. Because Shion called. And this changes everything. 

"Sasuke, answer the fucking phone. It's an emergency…I don't know what to do." 

He waited until the morning to try to contact someone - anyone. Maybe someone else knew what he should do. Because he sure as hell didn't. It had been a sleepless night for him, but luckily Boruto had slept through Naruto's internal chaos.

Now, here he was, going through Boruto's morning routine as he frantically tried to call someone. 

Sasuke hasn't picked up, which meant Sakura wouldn't. Shikamaru, one of his close friends that always managed to give him good advice, didn't answer any of the 4 voice-mails he left. His parents were ignoring him, and even Jiraiya, the leader of the Dads Supporting Dads group. 

He was officially the unluckiest person in Konoha. 

There was only one other person he could call. The person he always relied on in situations he couldn't get himself out of. 

He couldn't call her. Especially after what happened last night.

But he's tapping on her contact name before he can process what he's doing. The dial tone gives him anxiety, but he focuses on changing Boruto's diaper instead. 

It goes to voice-mail. Of course it does.

"Hey, Hinata. It's me…"

"Um, I'm so sorry about what happened last night, and I know I shouldn't be calling you, but it's kind of an emergency…" 

He throws the diaper in the trash can.

"Shion called. And I don't know what the fuck to do. So, if you can call back or tell me who else I can call-"

The phone beeps, and with a sigh Naruto puts his phone back in his pocket. He rubs his eyes with the palm of his hands. 

He's so tired. Too much is happening in his life, and it's so overwhelming that he's not sure he can handle it. 

He's exhausted. 

And he feels like he's doing alone. 

But then his phone vibrates, a sign that someone texted him.

**_Hinata_ **

_I'm on my way._

* * *

"You really didn't have to come." He sits on the couch, his head in his hands. "I'm sorry for calling you. I just didn't know what to do."

"It's okay Naruto-kun. You know I'm here for you." 

She's always there for him. No matter how many stupid fucking mistakes he makes, she's always there, supporting him. 

He looks at her. Her hair is in a bun, and her face is void of makeup. Her eyes are tinted red, and he's sure it's because she spent the night crying. 

Because of him. 

God, he's such an asshole.

"What did Shion-san say on the phone?" 

"Um…she told me she was back. And she wanted to talk." Hinata nods, and sits on the couch next to him, Boruto in her arms. "And then I hung up."

"Do you think she's going to come over?" 

Of course she is. He knows his wife. 

"This is so fucked up. She can't come over." But she probably will. And he's not sure he's prepared for it.

"Can you call her back?"

"No. I think she used a payphone." 

"Okay, well-"

"Hinata, she can't come over. Boruto doesn't want to see her. It'll upset him." Boruto doesn't even know who the hell she is, and that thought makes Naruto's stomach even more sick. "Everything is so fucked up."

"I know Naruto-kun, but-"

"Shion is coming, and that's fucked up. And then I kissed you and fucked everything up-"

"No you didn't. Naruto-kun just calm down." 

He doesn't want to calm down. Right now he just wants to find a way out of the fucked up situation he's in. 

But he looks at her holding Boruto, and can feel the anxiety leave him. Just one look from her always managed to calm him down.

"I'm so sorry." 

"You don't have to apologize." 

"Yes I do…" She's about to open her mouth to tell him he doesn't, but he doesn't want to hear it. So he decides to talk. 

"I love you." He's looking in her lavender eyes, and can see Boruto's smushed whiskered cheek on her shoulder through his peripheral vision. "It took me a while to tell you, and to figure it out myself…but I know I've always loved you." 

"I'm sure I want you to be the one I spend the rest of my life with. I'm sure that you're the closest thing to a mother Boruto will ever have. I hope that doesn't scare you, but I'm sure of it. But you wanna know the other thing that I know for sure? Besides the fact that I love you?" 

"I’m always going to love you," Naruto tucks a strand of hair behind Hinata's ear. "No matter what."

Her lips are parted, and although he's grateful she's not sobbing, she still has tears in her eyes.

"I love you enough to let you go, and I won't fight for you if you're happy with Toneri. But I don't think you are." 

"I don't think he makes you as happy as we make each other. But you can tell me if-"

The doorbell rings, and all the anxiety he'd kept hidden for the moment is back. 

He's not sure what comes after this. If Hinata will feel the same, or what will happen with Shion. He's not sure if he's ready. But will he ever be?

And that question is in his mind when he opens the door.

* * *

And there she is.

Uzumaki Shion. In the flesh.

If this were six months ago, things would be different. He'd run up to Shion, and kiss her, and forgive her for whatever shitty excuse she had for leaving him and Boruto. He'd be determined to fix his family with her. He'd _want_ to fix his family with her. He'd be overwhelmed with feelings of hope and happiness that maybe they can fix everything. 

But it's not six months ago. He's in the present. And the only feeling he has towards his wife is anger.

"Naruto! I'm here to see you and Jr. We need to talk." 

His hand is shaking, the only sign that he actually feels any emotion at seeing his wife. 

Hinata isn't in the living room; and Naruto can only assume she'd taken Boruto to his room. That's fine. This is only between him and Shion. He wouldn't want Boruto to see anything anyway. 

"How have you been? I've been good, I got some traveling done…" 

She's talking about the adventures she'd taken without her family. Naruto picks up the folder he'd left on the coffee table and puts a pen down. 

"I don't give a fuck. Sign the papers and get the hell out."

Shock is evident on her face, but she quickly masks it with a smile.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

"We have nothing to talk about." 

"I think we do."

There's nothing she can say to excuse what she did to him. To _them._ He doesn't want to hear anything from her. 

But that never stopped Shion, and he shouldn't be surprised that his feelings don't stop her now. She'd always had the audacity. 

"I don't like the way we left things."

"You're the one that left things. With a letter, remember?" He crosses his arms.

"Can we not talk about that? I want to talk to you."

"Then talk." A part of him can't wait to hear the bullshit that'll come out of her mouth. 

"I don't like the way…I left things. I think we should've had a conversation." She makes her way towards the couch, and he stands up to walk to the other side of the room. 

"When he was born, I was so scared. I saw his face in that hospital room, and I knew I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to devote eighteen years of my life into a human being…even though I'm half the reason he's here in the first place. I still wanted my freedom. So I left."

"I left, and I put all the responsibility on you. Knowing you would be there for him made my decision easier. Because I knew you would do right…for the baby." 

Shion sighs, but continues her speech. 

"And the days without him turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to months, and I honestly didn't think about him, or you, that entire time. But then my mom died."

"My mom died, and everything came to me. I can be the person she was for me…for…" 

She looks at him, expecting him to finish her sentence. 

"You don't even know his name." 

"Naruto, look. I'm ready to be a mother now. If you just-"

"No you're not. And you're never going to be ready. An epiphany you had at a funeral won't change the fact that you weren't meant to be a mother."

"How the hell do you know that?" She stands up. "You haven't even given me a chance!"

"You don't need a fucking chance, Shion!" He's being too loud, and he rolls his eyes when he hears his son's cries.

"Is that him? I want to see him." 

"You're not seeing him." He cuts off her path by standing in front of her, and she looks at him with a purpose. 

"Tell me what his name is." She can't answer him, and it's all the proof he needs.

"You know I can't." She crosses her arms, almost as if she's upset with him for not being able to remember her own child's name.

"You don't know shit about him. You don't know his favorite food, or his sleep schedule, or his favorite toy. I do. Because unlike you, I've been there since he was born."

"You don't have the patience to be a mother. You'll leave the moment things get too hard, just like you did before. I'm not letting you break my child's heart again." He refuses. 

"Being a parent means sleepless nights, and puke on your favorite clothes. It means caring about your child more than yourself, and teaching them how to navigate through life, even though you don't know what the hell you're doing either."

Being a parent isn't only for eighteen years. It's for the rest of your life. You don't get to leave and come back whenever you feel like shit for leaving them. So do us both a favor and sign the papers. Then get the hell out. We don't need you in our lives anymore." 

He hands her the pen, and watches her as she considers it.

"I-"

"You're doing both of us a favor."

He knows that she knows deep down, she's not ready to be a mother. And she never will be.

He watches as she signs her name over the dotted line, a sense of relief watching over him.

"Can I stay here for a few minutes?" Her voice is quiet. Quieter than he'd ever known her to talk. "I need to call my ride."

He hands her his phone, and the next words that come out of her mouth manage to infuriate him even more.

"Hey, Toneri. Can you come pick me up?" 

* * *

_**the next chapter will be in hinata's POV! i hope you enjoyed!** _

**Author's Note:**

> this is short, but it's just an intro. i'm sure the next chapters will be much longer. i'll dive more into naruto and hinata's relationship in the next chapter! let me know if you like this! 


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